


Inculcate - Knife Work

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1514]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22056457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Tony grows tired of Gibbs cutting him down. He decides to leave, but will Gibbs just let him walk away?
Relationships: Anthony DiNozzo/Jethro Gibbs
Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [1514]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/444514
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66
Collections: Prompts for Cutsycat - NCIS (2018)





	Inculcate - Knife Work

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mefeather](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mefeather/gifts).



> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 06/23/2003 for the word [inculcate](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2003/06/23/inculcate).
> 
> inculcate[ in-kuhl-keyt, in-kuhl-keyt ]  
> verb (used with object), in·cul·cat·ed, in·cul·cat·ing.  
> to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly (usually followed by upon or in):  
> to inculcate virtue in the young.  
> to cause or influence (someone) to accept an idea or feeling (usually followed by with):  
> Socrates inculcated his pupils with the love of truth.
> 
> This was requested by mefeather as part of my 2018 prompt challenge [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile). The 2018 Prompts are closed, however, you can still sign up for the 2019 Prompts [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2019/profile). Note: There were multiple prompts. I removed the ones I wasn't fulfilling. More instructions are below if you wish to sign up.
> 
> **Prompt:**
> 
> Use the title of one of these songs in a story - but if more than one title inspires you feel free to let the muse guide you. ;-) Since the title of the song is the most important part I'll give you the artist between braces.
> 
> Cuts like a knife {Bryan Adams}  
>  **End Prompt**

It was well known that Gibbs inculcated in his team the necessity of always having a knife. Nobody blamed him for that. The knife had proved useful in any number of unexpected situations they'd found themselves in.

No, the problem came when he used the metaphorical knife to cut them down and rake them over the coals. Tony was used to it, but it didn’t make it less painful when Gibbs’ words cut right through him like a knife. He was doing his best as was everyone. How did yelling at them when there was literally nothing to go on help anything?

When Gibbs was way out of line, Tony would call him on it, but most of the time he tried to let it roll off his back. It didn’t really work, but he tried. He was getting tired of dealing with it, though.

He knew that it was just Gibbs’ way and he’d tried changing people before, but you just couldn’t force someone to change. He knew that first hand from dealing with his father. He always hoped that if he behaved a certain way that his dad would be proud of him. It took him over twenty years to figure out that nothing he did would make his dad care about him.

It was easier with Gibbs because despite all the yelling, it was obvious that Gibbs did care. The guy had ordered him not to die when he was in the hospital with the plague, after all. However, Tony had hoped after that incident that Gibbs returned the feelings Tony had for him, but it was now six years later and Tony had still seen no signs of anything deeper than friendship from Gibbs.

With a heavy heart, Tony turned in his resignation. It was time for him to move on, though, he didn’t yet know where. He patted the knife Gibbs gave him, but the cold steel was no comfort. 

He’d told Gibbs in person why he was leaving and Gibbs had said he understood, but Tony didn’t think he really did. After all, Tony hadn’t told Gibbs about his feelings or even given constructive feedback. He’d just told Gibbs that it was time for him to move on.

Gibbs had told him to keep in touch like everyone did when you left, but Tony was pretty sure that wouldn’t happen. Gibbs didn’t email, his phone calls were terse and short, and he didn’t text. Tony didn’t see how they could keep in touch like Gibbs wanted. So he nodded and took his stuff and left. 

McGee had given him a hug, but he’d seemed pretty happy about finally getting the SFA position and Tony wished him well with that. Honestly with Ziva on the team, Tony wasn’t sure how long that team would last without him. He’d considered moving to the FBI, but honestly he was tired of working for a federal agency. He wanted to work somewhere that paid him obscene amounts of money and gave him lots of vacation days to spend on a beach somewhere.

It was easier to find a job that gave him lots of vacation days than one that paid obscene amounts of money. Tony wasn’t worried though, he took the film history job with guaranteed no summer classes and simply made up for the lower income by playing the stock market exceedingly well. His investments made enough in interest that he could easily vacation during the summer on that without touching the principal that he’d invested. 

It wasn’t an exciting life, but it was a lot less stressful than working for NCIS. Even the deadlines for final exams were nothing compared to what Gibbs had expected from him on the team. Sometimes during his long days on the beach, watching the waves come in and getting a nice summer tan, Tony would wistfully imagine what it would be like if Gibbs joined him here. 

So it was understandable that when Gibbs first appeared, Tony thought it was just another daydream. It wasn’t until the head slap that Tony realized that Gibbs really was in front of him. “Hey!” Tony protested, “I don’t work for you anymore. You have no reason to physically assault me.”

Gibbs grunted, “Don’t waste good.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Why are you here, Gibbs?”

“I’m tired of wasting the best damn thing that ever happened to me.”

“Eh?” Tony furrowed his brows in confusion.

“You, Tony, you.”

Tony couldn’t help feeling like he was a bit slow on the uptake, but he really didn’t get what Gibbs meant this time. Maybe he was rusty with his Gibbs’ speak. “Er. What?”

Shaking his head, Gibbs stepped up to Tony and kissed him deeply. It took Tony a bit to get with the program, but he eventually returned the kiss. When they pulled apart, Gibbs murmured, “I’m sorry it took me so long to get my head out of my ass.”

“I’d say no problem, but honestly it was a bit of a problem.”

“So I was the reason you left.” Gibbs looked away. “I was afraid of that.”

“Are you in town for a case?” Tony probed, still trying to figure out exactly what was going on here.

“No. I retired.”

“So you didn’t seek me out until after you retired?”

“No, Tony, I retired to seek you out. I couldn’t stand being without you anymore.”

“So the team fell apart without me there,” Tony translated.

Gibbs shook his head. “No, Tony.”

“Then why now, Gibbs?”

“I promise I’ll prove to you that you can trust me with your heart,” Gibbs vowed.

Tony raised an eyebrow. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“I meant what I said. I couldn’t stand being apart from you anymore. It took me this long to track you down.”

“I wasn’t exactly hiding.”

“I spent a lot of time being foolish.” Gibbs looked sheepish.

Tony narrowed his eyes at Gibbs, but finally gave in. “Fine. We can try a relationship, but you’re on probation.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” Gibbs grinned.

Tony grinned back and they both settled on the beach to watch the sunset. For the first time since he left NCIS, the outlook ahead seemed bright just like the beautiful colors of the sunset. Tomorrow, the first day of the rest of their lives would start and Tony truly hoped that it lived up to the promise that Gibbs made.

**Author's Note:**

> The dictionary.com series has no stories already written for it after this one, so I will be posting at least no more stories before I stop posting again. I'm hoping to get more stories written before then, so that I don't stop posting for a while. Wish me luck! 
> 
> Today is the last day of 2019! If you haven't used up your 50 prompts, this is your last chance to do so for 2019. Go [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2019/profile) to add your prompts to my 2019 Prompt Collection. Just click the sign up link. ;) I will be closing the 2019 Prompt Collection for prompts tomorrow so you better hurry. I'm hoping to complete all the 2019 prompts by the end of 2020. 
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes. Please note if you have already voted in the poll and would like to request more stories you can just add a comment to the poll. Please include the name along with the prompt, so that I can appropriately gift the prompt to you.
> 
> For any authors that want to chat and/or are looking for a place where they can toss plot ideas around and get input from people, you can come join my discord server that is specifically geared towards writing/encouraging people to write and authors. The invite link is [here](https://discord.gg/HFvwpCq). If you're not an author, but want to chat with me about writing/stories or anything else you are welcome to join. I reserve the right to boot you from my server if all you do is pester me about updates, however. *grin* Really anyone who wants to talk about writing and/or plot ideas for various stories is welcome to join. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them. 


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